chaffee



E.F.CHAFFEE TRAP DOOR FOR RAILWAY CAR PLATFORMS. APPLICATION F |LEDB502]. 1914.

1,195,779. Patent-edAug. 22,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I INVENTOR ATTORNEYS ms NDRms Pzrsns 00.. imam-1.1mmwuumo mu, 0. c.

E. F. CHAFFEE.

TRAP DOOR FOR RAILWAY CAR PLATFORMS. APPLlCATlON FILED DEC-21.1914.

1 1 95,779. Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- ATTORNEYS mu NURRVS r-zrsres cuJwom-umu, Mmum'mu, n c.

E. F. CHAFFEE.

TRAP DOOR FOR RAILWAY ,CAR PLATFORMS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 21. 1914.

PaxentedAun; 22,1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

WITNESSES:

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS m: NoRnls PEYERS c0. nnmwnnxa. WASHINGTON. o. c.

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EDWARD F. CHAFFEE, or sYRAousn ivEw YORK, AssIeivoRro THE 0. M. EDWARDSCOMPANY, me, or sYRAcusE, 'NEW YORK, A CORPORATION on NEW YORK.

TRAP-DOOR FOR RAILWAY-CAR PLATFORMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

Application filed December 21, 1914;. Serial 110,878,462.

a citizen of the United States, and a resi dent of Syracuse, in thecounty of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented a certain newand useful Trap-Door for Railway-Car Platforms, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to trap doors for railway car platforms,particularly car platforms which are capable of being projectedlaterally beyond the sides of the cars to bridge the space between thecars and station platforms elevated into a position substantially flushwith the car platforms, and it has for its object means movable with theplatform to bridge the space between the inner edge of the door and theplatform floor when the door is projected outwardly; and the inventionconsists in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth andclaimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which like characters designate corresponding parts in allthe views. a

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view illustrating in plan a portion of theplatform, and trap door provided with my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectionn the plane of line 2-2, Fig. 1, the door being shown as swung into openposition on itshinge. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken onthe plane of line 22, Fig. 1, the door being shown as slid outwardly toits open position, parts of the sliding mechanism for the door beingomitted. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view through the'door on lineA-A, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 13-13, Fig. 1.

This invention comprises means movable laterally beyond the side of thecar and having a portion telescoping withthe plat form floor of the car.Said means is here shown as a trap door and the telescoping portionthereof is a slide coupled tothe trap door at the inner edge thereof.

1 designates-the car; platform.

2 designates the trap door which is hinged at one side of the dooropeningand which is movable axially of its-hinge to project its outerportion 3 beyond the side face 4 of the car. V

The door is hinged to the platform in any well known manner, it beinghere shown as provided with parallel levers 5 which support the floor ofthe trap door and which .are pivoted at 6 at their inner ends tobearings 7 fixed upon a spring barrel 8 journaled in bearings 9, 10,carried by the platform. The parallel levers 5 are connected at theirouter ends to the under side of the flooring of the door by pins 11.extending through slots in the levers. During axial shifting of, thedoorthe levers 5'move in parallelism on their pivots 6 and guide the door inits sliding movement. A suitable torque spring 13 1s fixed at one end toone bearing and at its other end suitably connected to the spring barrelto rotate-the barrel to open the door on its hinge. The sup- .port forthe door forms no part of this invention. The door is slidable axiallywhen in its closed postion by any suitable means here shown as avertical rock shaft 14 supported by the platform and having a rock arm15 thereon which is connected by a link 16 to the trap door flooring.The rock shaft is provided with a suitable folding handle 17 by means ofwhich it is operated.

The means for bridging the space between the inner edge of the trap door2 and the floor of the platform at the top of the trap door opening, ashere shown consists of a slide 18 which telescopes with the platform.Said slide is preferably connected to the door 2 by a coupling whichdisconnects the door from the slide 18 during the opening movement ofthe door and which connects the door to the slide as the door approachesits closed position. As here shown, the slide 18 is. movable into andout of a horizontal cavity 19 beneath the tread of the platform 1 at thetop of the step opening, the cavity being provided with suitable braces20 therein for supporting the tread of the platform 1, these bracesbeing usually of angle iron. The slide 18 is formed with slots 21,complemental to the braces 20. Supports 22 for the slide are alsoprovided on the bottom of the cavity 19 and on whichthe slide 18 restswhile in the cavity and during its sliding movement.

When the slide 18 is moved out of the cavity, as when the door 2 ismoved axially,

that is,'longitudinally of its axis, the opposite edges of the sliderest on ledges 23, 24,

Figs. 1 and 1, provided on the platform and on the-hinge barrel 6. Thefree edge of the door normally rests on a ledge 25 in the ordinarymanner, and the ledge 23 is an extension of the ledge 25 at the innerend thereof, and its surface is depressed below the surface of the ledge25, as the slide 18 has a portion extending under the tread of the door'2. The door is coupled to the slide by interlocking means which moveout of and into interlocking engagement during the opening and closingof the door on its hinge. VAs here shown, said means comprises eyes oropenings 26 provided in one of the parts coupled together, as the slideand lugs 27 provided on the other of said parts as the door, the lugs 27being carried by brackets 28 projecting beyond the inner edge of thedoor. The eyes 26 are alined with cutouts 29 in the platform 1, whichcutouts receive the lugs 27' so that-the upper faces of the lugs 28 areflush withthe upand as here shown, said means consists of a springpressed bolt 30 supported by the platform and arranged to enter one ofthe eyes26 as the lug 27 moves out of said eye and to be depressed outof the eye 26 by said lug27 as the door approaches its closed position.p

In operation, when a train stops at a station having the platform nearthe level of the tracks, the trap door is opened in the usual mannerpermitting the passengers to alight and board by means of the steps, and

7 during the opening of the trap door, the

'mal position.

lugs 27 move out of the openings 26 ofthe slide" and the bolt 30 movesinto one of the openings 26 holding the slide 18 in its nor- During theclosing of the door 2 on its hinge, the lugs 27 come into 7 interlockingengagement with the eyes 26 and again couple the door 2'and the slide18. When thetrain stops at stations having elevated platforms near thelevel of the car platform, the rock shaft 1 1 is operated to shift thedoor 2 outwardly and axially so that its outer portion 3 projects beyondthe sideof the car, and as the door 2 moves, the slide 18 moves out ofits cavity 19, and bridges the space between the inner edge of the trapdoor 2 and the platform 1.

7 When the train departs, the rock shaft'lO is-again operated moving thedoor 2 axially and again moving the slide 18 into thecavity 19.; 1During the sliding movement of the slide 18, it moves on the ledges 23and 24:.

form atone side of the door opening, and

slidable longitudinally of the axis of its.

hinge, and a slide located at the inner edge of the door to bridge thespace between the a set forth.

platform and the door when the door is moved axiallyoutwardly from itsnormal position, the door being separated from the the platform at oneside of the dooropening and shiftable longitudinally ofthe axis of itshinge, the door having meanszassoci ated therewith and movable'into and:out

of the .cavityfduring the axial movement of the door, the door belngseparated from said means durmg the movement of theidoor on its hinge,substantially as'and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination with a railway flcar platform, of a trap door hingedto the platform at one side of the 'dooriopening and hinge and means atthe inner edge of: the

door telescoping with theplatform at" the: top of the steps ofthe'platform, the door slidable. longitudinallyof theaxis of its beingseparated from said means during the opening movementof the door on itshinge, substantially as "and for the, purpose 4. The combination with a,railway car platform, of a trap door hingedto the platform at one sideof the door opening and slidable longitudinally of the axis of itshinge, a slide located at the inner edge of the door to bridge the spacebetweenthe platform and the door when the door is moved outwardlyaxially, and means cou-V pling the door and the slide and acting todisconnect the door from theislide during the opening of the .door onitshinge an'd to' connect thedoor and the slideas the door approachesits closed position, substantially as and for the purpose described."

5. The combination'with a railway car platform, of a trap door hingedtothe platform at one side of the door opening, and a slide located at theinner edge of the door and telescoping with the platform at the innerside of the. door'opening, the door and the slide having meansmoving'lnto and out of lnterlocklng engagement durmg the opening andclosing of the 'door, substantially as V and for the purpose specified.s

6. The combination With a railway car platform, of'a trapdoor hinged tothe plat. form at one side of thedoor opening,and a slide located at theinner edge of the door} and telescoping with the platform at the.

top of the steps, thedoo'r' and the slide having means mov nginto andout ofinterlock "ing engagement during the opening and closing of thedoor, said means consisting of an opening provided on one of'said parts"connected together, and alugprovidedon the'other of'said parts, the lugand opening 30 being arranged at an angle to the sliding movement of thedoor and being arranged to come into engagement as the door approachesits closed position, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination with a railway car platform, of a trap door hinged tothe platform at one side of the door opening, a slide located at theinner edge of the door and telescoping with the platform at the top ofthe steps, the door and the slide having means moving out of and intointerlocking engagement during the opening and closing of the door, andmeans for holding the slide from movement when the door is swung open onits hinge, substantially as and for the purpose described.

8. The combination with a railway car platform, of a trap door hinged tothe platform at one side of the door opening, a slide located at theinner edge of the door and telescoping with the platform at the top ofthe steps, the door and the slide having means moving out of and intointerlocking engagement during the opening and closing of the door, andmeans for holding the slide from movement when the door is swung open onits hinge, said means being movable out of interlocking engagement withthe slide by the door as the door approaches its 'closedposition,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

9. The combination with a railway car platform, of a trap door hinged tothe platform at one side of the opening and being slidablelongitudinally of the axis of its hinge, a slide located at the inneredge of the door and telescoping with the platform at the inner end ofthe door opening, the slide being provided with an eye opening, and thedoor being provided with a lug, the opening and the lug being arrangedat an angle to the sliding movement of the door, and ar ranged to comeinto interlocking engagement as the door approaches its closed position,and a lock associated with the platform and arranged to enter theopening as the lug moves out of the opening to hold the slide frommovement when the door is opened and to move out of the opening as thedoor approaches its closed position, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

10. The combination of a railway car platform having a cavity at theinner end of the door opening, a brace interposed between the floor ofthe platform and the bottom of the cavity, a trap door hinged to theplatform at one side ofthe door opening and slidable lengthwise of theaxis of its hinge, and a slide located at the inner edge of the door andmovable into and out of the cavity and having a slot into which thebrace eX- tends, substantially as and for the purpose described.

11. The combination with a railway car platform, of a trap door hingedat one side of the door opening and including a spring barrel on theunderside thereof, the door be ing also movable lengthwise of the axisof the barrel, a slide telescoping with the platform at the inner sideof the door opening, means coupling the slide and the door togetherwhereby the slide is movable axially with the door, and means carried bythe hinge barrel for supporting the slide during the sliding movement ofthe door and the slide, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

12. The combination with a railway car platform, formed with a cavity atthe top of the steps of the platform, of means movable laterally beyondthe side of the car and having a portion movable into and out of saidcavity, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed by name,'in the presence oftwo attesting witnesses, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga andState of New York, this 10th day of November, 1914.

EDWARD F. CHAFFE'E.

Witnesses:

S. DAVIS, J. GLAZIER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G.

